Issaquah, Washington
Issaquah is a city of 39,591 people in King County, Washington, founded in 1892.
Why visit Issaquah
Townapedia lists 24 museums and landmarks, 90 parks and trails, 155 places to eat, 6 places to stay and 23 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Cougar Mountain Zoo, Regal Cinemas, Issaquah Depot Museum and Brandes House.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 78°F; December lows average 37°F.
Weather in Issaquah
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Issaquah
Issaquah is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 40,051 at the 2020 census. Located in a valley and bisected by Interstate 90, the city is bordered by the Sammamish Plateau to the north and the "Issaquah Alps" to the south. It is home to the headquarters of the multinational retail company Costco Wholesale Corporation.
From the Wikipedia article Issaquah, Washington (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do23
Cougar Mountain Zoo
Zoo and aquarium · 1.1 mi
Zoo in Washington, U.S
19525 Southeast 54th Street, Issaquah
We-Su 09:30-17:00
Alps View
Scenic view · 1.7 mi
View of the Issaquah Alps, which include: Issaquah Highlands, Tiger Mtn. Squak Mtn. and Cougar Mtn.
Longman Performing Arts Center
Cinema and theater · 2.1 mi
700 2nd Avenue Southeast, Issaquah
11 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks24
Brandes House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Historic house in Sammamish, Washington, United States
Issaquah Depot
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Railway station in Issaquah, the United States of America
Issaquah Sportsmen's Club
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Building in Issaquah, Washington, United States
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Pickering Farm
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Human settlement in Issaquah, Washington, United States of America
Pacific Coast Company House No. 75
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.6 mi
Gilman Town Hall
Museum · 1.6 mi
165 Southeast Andrews Street, Issaquah
"by appointment"
Fantastic Erratic
Monument and historic site · 1.5 mi
Large glacial erratic boulder.
12 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds90
Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park
Park · 2.3 mi
Park in King County, Washington, US
Tradition Plateau Natural Resources Conservation Area
Hiking and trails · 2.7 mi
78 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes155
12th Avenue Café
Cafe · American · 0.4 mi
775 Northwest Gilman Boulevard, Issaquah
Mo-Fr 07:00-20:00; Sa 07:30-20:00; Su 07:30-15:00
Agave Cocina & Tequilas - Issaquah Highlands
Restaurant · Mexican · 2.0 mi
1048 Northeast Park Drive, Issaquah
Mo-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr 11:00-00:00; Sa 10:00-00:00; Su 10:00-22:00
Enzo's Bistro and Bar Issaquah
Restaurant · Italian · 1.0 mi
120 Northwest Gilman Boulevard, Issaquah
Mo-Su 12:00-20:30
Flying Pie Pizzeria
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.6 mi
30 Front Street South, Issaquah
Su, Tu-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Frankie’s Pizza - Issaquah
Restaurant · Pizza
1420 Northwest Gilman Boulevard, Issaquah
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Gaslamp Bar & Grill
Diner · American
1315 Northwest Mall Street, Issaquah
Mo-Sa 09:00-22:00; Su 09:00-21:00
Happy Lemon
Cafe · Bubble Tea · 0.4 mi
1171 Northwest Sammamish Road, Issaquah
10:00-20:00; Fr,Sa 10:00-21:00
Jobo's Pizza Pub
Restaurant · Pizza · 2.4 mi
3310 East Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast, Sammamish
Mo-Th 15:00-21:00; Fr 15:00-10:00; Sa 12:00-22:00; Su 12:00-20:00
143 more on the map.
History
"Issaquah" is an anglicization of the Southern Lushootseed placename /sqʷáxʷ/, meaning either "the sound of birds", "snake", or "little stream". "Squak Valley", an older name for the area, also derives from this same Native American name.
In September 1885, the then-unincorporated area was the scene of an attack on Chinese laborers who had come to pick hops from local fields. Three of the laborers died from gunshot wounds; seven attackers were indicted, but they were later acquitted or charges were dropped.
Shortly after becoming known as Squak, the town was briefly renamed to Gilman, an homage to Daniel Hunt Gilman, who brought railways to the town.
From the History section of Issaquah, Washington on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay6
Churches and places of worship19
St Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 1.9 mi
325 Southeast Darst Street, Issaquah
Shopping42
Gas and EV charging19
Schools, colleges and libraries60
Healthcare16
Virginia Mason Issaquah Medical Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.3 mi
100 Northeast Gilman Boulevard, Issaquah
Highmark Medical Center
Clinic and pharmacy
1740 Northwest Maple Street, Issaquah
Thrive Lactation
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.9 mi
317 Northwest Gilman Boulevard, Issaquah
Map of Issaquah
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°F | 37°F | 4.9 in |
| Feb | 50°F | 37°F | 3.2 in |
| Mar | 55°F | 40°F | 3.7 in |
| Apr | 60°F | 43°F | 2.8 in |
| May | 66°F | 49°F | 1.9 in |
| Jun | 71°F | 54°F | 1.5 in |
| Jul | 77°F | 58°F | 0.6 in |
| Aug | 78°F | 57°F | 0.9 in |
| Sep | 72°F | 53°F | 1.5 in |
| Oct | 61°F | 46°F | 3.5 in |
| Nov | 52°F | 40°F | 5.6 in |
| Dec | 47°F | 37°F | 4.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Renton Muni Ap (8 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
King County has had 18 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-04-07: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2025-12-12: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2024-04-28: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2022-09-10: Bolt Creek Fire (Fire)
- 2020-04-23: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-03-22: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Renton Municipal Airport (RNT) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 8 miles away.
- East Renton Highlands 5 mi south, about 8 min by car
- Bellevue 6 mi northwest, about 9 min by car
- Renton 8 mi southwest, about 13 min by car
- Fairwood 8 mi southwest, about 13 min by car
- Bryn Mawr-Skyway 9 mi southwest, about 15 min by car
- Kent 13 mi southwest, about 21 min by car
- Covington 13 mi south, about 20 min by car
- Burien 14 mi west, about 23 min by car
- Cottage Lake 14 mi north, about 22 min by car
- Seattle 15 mi west, about 23 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Issaquah - Sunset Way 01, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Issaquah tc, Traininteriorguy, CC BY 4.0
- Stopping to notice the flowers at an intersection in Issaquah (9564306573), Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA, CC BY 2.0
- Issaquah, WA — Red Alder Grove Picnic Area Shelter (2022-04-07) 01 08 16 076000, Senapa, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Issaquah, WA — Red Alder Grove Picnic Area Shelter (2022-04-07) 01 08 11 976000, Senapa, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Issaquah, WA — Red Alder Grove Picnic Area Shelter (2022-04-07), Senapa, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Issaquah, WA — Red Alder Grove Picnic Area Shelter (2022-04-07) 01 08 06 572000, Senapa, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Issaquah, WA — Red Alder Grove Picnic Area Shelter (2022-04-07) 01 08 00 299000, Senapa, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cougar Mountain Zoo entrance 2014, Junkyardsparkle, CC0
- Issaquah Sportsmen's Club 04, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Issaquah, WA - Pickering Farm 02, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Issaquah Depot 02, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mount Roosevelt from Snow Lake, Peter Stevens, CC BY 2.0
- Lake Sammamish State Park, Narasimhan Govindarajan, CC0
- Lake Sammamish State Park, Narasimhan Govindarajan, CC0
- Lake Sammamish State Park, Narasimhan Govindarajan, CC0
- Lake Sammamish State Park, Narasimhan Govindarajan, CC0
- Lake Sammamish State Park, Narasimhan Govindarajan, CC0
- Lake Sammamish State Park, Narasimhan Govindarajan, CC0
- Lake Sammamish State Park, Narasimhan Govindarajan, CC0
- Shaggy-top mushroom (22420985899), Peter Stevens from Seattle, CC BY 2.0
- Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringii (Puget Sound Garter Snake), GunnarBonk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2006-08-0449lake-sammamish-washington, Mggkitsap, CC BY 3.0
- Ara ararauna + Ara chloropterus at Cougar Mountain Zoological Park -8a, Derrick Coetzee from Seattle, USA, CC0
- Lake Sammamish from Cougar Mountain Zoo panorama 2014, Junkyardsparkle, CC0
- Ara militaris -Cougar Mountain Zoological Park-8d, Derrick Coetzee from Seattle, USA, CC0
- Ara militaris -Cougar Mountain Zoological Park-8a, Derrick Coetzee from Seattle, USA, CC0
- Ara militaris -Cougar Mountain Zoological Park-8c, Derrick Coetzee from Seattle, USA, CC0
- Ara militaris -Cougar Mountain Zoological Park-8f, Derrick Coetzee from Seattle, USA, CC0
- Cougar at Cougar Mountain Zoological Park 2, Dcoetzee, CC0
- Cougar at Cougar Mountain Zoological Park 1, Dcoetzee, CC0
- Crowned crane at Cougar Mountain Zoological Park 2, Dcoetzee, CC0
- Swamp Wallaby at Cougar Mountain Zoological Park, Dcoetzee, CC0
- Royal White Bengal Tiger in cage at Cougar Mountain Zoological Park, Dcoetzee, CC0
- Royal White Bengal Tiger with mouth open at Cougar Mountain Zoological Park, Dcoetzee, CC0
- Royal White Bengal Tiger cleaning self at Cougar Mountain Zoological Park 1, Dcoetzee, CC0
- Military macaw at Cougar Mountain Zoological Park, Dcoetzee, CC0
- Orange bengal tiger at Cougar Mountain Zoological Park 2, Dcoetzee, CC0
- Ring-tailed lemur looking through chain-link fence at Cougar Mountain Zoological Park, Dcoetzee, CC0
- Crowned crane at Cougar Mountain Zoological Park 1, Dcoetzee, CC0
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